ASML, IMEC renew development pact

LEUVEN, Belgium – ASML Holding NV, a leading developer of lithography equipment, and research institute IMEC has announced the signing of a collaboration agreement covering the period 2011 to 2015

The two organizations have worked closely together on several generations of lithography equipment – both optical and extreme ultra-violet – for many years. IMEC, based here, received one of the first alpha EUV lithography tools into its 300-mm pilot fab and continues to work with ASML (Veldhoven, The Netherlands) on improving performance and throughput.

In November 2011, ASML will install its state-of-the-art 193-nm immersion litho tool, the NXT1950i system at IMEC. IMEC is set to continue its EUV lithography work with the installation of the production-ready EUV litho system NXE:3300B, the successor to ASML’s NXE:3100 preproduction tool that was installed at IMEC in spring 2011. Moreover, the agreement involves the suite of ASML’s computational lithography tools and the advanced metrology platform ASML Yieldstar S200.

"ASML's close partnership with IMEC has given our joint customers early insights and learning into the capabilities of new chip manufacturing solutions, paving the way for their technology leadership and commercial success. We're pleased to commit to the next level of collaboration as we transition to EUV technology and so enter the next decade of shrink technologies," said Martin van den Brink, ASML's chief technology officer, in a statement issued by IMEC.